Law makes creating forged likenesses to cause financial harm digital defrauding

Starting October 1, 2026, a person commits digital defrauding by creating and sharing a digitally forged likeness while intending to cause someone financial harm. The likeness must depict an identifiable person without their consent and be virtually indistinguishable from what a reasonable person would believe is that person's actual image or voice. It must be a visual or audio recording that was not wholly recorded by a camera or audio recorder, or was partly or wholly generated by a computer system. The person must know, or should have known, that the likeness was digitally forged. The accused has a defense if they took reasonable steps to warn viewers or listeners that the likeness was forged. This provision takes effect October 1, 2026.

Certain service providers are not liable under this provision for content another person creates at their request or provides for sharing. The protection covers interactive computer, information, and telecommunications service providers. The provider must not know that the content is being created or shared in violation of this provision.